


Happy Anniversary, Starlight

by Athetos



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Catra and Lonnie show up too but only briefly, College AU, F/F, Fluff, Happy anniversary date, Modern AU, adora is a nerd/jock two hit combo, brief mentions of alcohol, just lots of fluff. and pda.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:02:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29828802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Athetos/pseuds/Athetos
Summary: Adora and Glimmer celebrate their third anniversary together by reminiscing on their past, and looking forward to their future.
Relationships: Adora/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 12





	Happy Anniversary, Starlight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [curiousscientistkae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/curiousscientistkae/gifts).



> Hi all! This fic was a request for  curiousscientistkae \- if you're able to, you should check out their latest fic,  Her Beacon of Hope , which is nearing completion and well worth the read!!
> 
> If you want to request a fic, you can go to my tumblr and find out how to get your own!! (not linking directly for... reasons, but my username is also athetos).

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

Adora didn’t know why the computer lab had to have an analog clock - or at least, why they had to have one that was so damn _distracting._ If she wanted to tell the time, she could just look at the clock in the corner of any of the room’s dozens of computer screens - which she had glanced at about seven times in the past five minutes, every second seeming to drag on for hours. Why was it that the one time she wanted time to pass quickly, it slowed to a crawl?

“Hellooooo, earth to Adora, are you in there?” Scorpia, sitting at the monitor beside her, waved a hand in front of her face.

“Unfortunately,” Adora said with a groan. “You know, there _are_ easier ways of getting my attention, right?”

Scorpia looked sheepish, scratching her neck. “Well, uh, I said your name, like, five times, and I don’t think you even heard me, so...”

Adora sighed, leaning back in her chair. “Sorry, I’m just a bit more distracted than usual, at the moment.”

Scorpia perked up, resting her elbows on the table, her face in her hands. “What’s on your mind, champ? Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no, nothing’s _wrong,”_ Adora said quickly. “Everything’s _good,_ actually. You see, today’s Glim’s and I’s anniversary, and we’re going out tonight, but she has classes at Bright Moon until five, and it’s only _one,_ so...” 

“You’ve never been the most patient person.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Frustrated, she dropped her head on the keyboard in front of her, a long string of a’s filling the word document she had open. “Just one more hour of work, then I can justify going home to relax before our date.”

Scorpia laughed, patting Adora roughly on the back. “That’s the spirit! One more hour, and then...” 

She suddenly trailed off, and even though Adora couldn’t see her face, she could tell that Scorpia’s eyes were wide with surprise. “What’s up?” She asked, curious, lifting her head.

“Uh, n-nothing,” Scorpia stammered, waving her hands frantically to keep the blonde’s attention. “Just thought I saw something, but, uh nope, there’s nothing there, nothing at all!”

Adora narrowed her eyes, not trusting her friend a single bit. She turned to look over her shoulder, but Scorpia roughly grabbed her arm, tugging her attention back to her. “Hey, no distractions, work on your homework, chop chop!”

“Yowch, that hurts!” Adora tore her arm from Scorpia’s grasp, shaking it out. “Why are you acting so weird?”

“Me? _Weird?”_ Scorpia said, far too loudly for the near-empty room. “No, I’m not weird at all! I’m being perfectly normal!”

“No, you’re absolutely _not,_ what’s - “ Adora stopped, finally noticing quiet footsteps, muted against the carpet. It was odd, but there was something familiar about their cadence. Before she could twist in her seat to look behind her, the soft scents of lavender and sandalwood filled her senses, and her heart sprouted wings, trying to free itself from her ribcage. Even as her muscles stiffened in shock, her spirit was soaring, the mountain of assignments in front of her immediately forgotten as the visitor stepped closer. 

There was no way, but - 

A pair of loving arms wrapped around her neck from behind, a cloud of fluffy pink hair tickling her face. “Hi, ‘Dora,” Glimmer murmured in her ear, before sweetly kissing her cheek.

_”Glim,”_ Adora gasped, sinking back into her embrace. “Don’t you have class?”

Her girlfriend giggled, gently swaying them back and forth. “It was canceled, so I thought I’d surprise you. Happy Anniversary, baby.” Glimmer tilted Adora’s chin with her hand, and kissed her on the mouth, fireworks lighting up her insides. Her lips tasted divine, coated in that bright red, velvety lipstick that Adora loved. The kiss was slow and intoxicating, Adora humming delightedly against her lips as her fingers played with the ends of her downy hair, Glimmer’s hands cupping both her cheeks as they melted into each other. 

A quiet “ahem” finally caused the two women to separate, remembering they were both in public, and had an audience. Scorpia had a goofy smile on her face, the one that she got when she watched sappy Korean dramas in the lounge between classes. “Aw, you two are adorable, did you know that?”

“We did, actually,” Glimmer responded smugly, sliding sideways into her girlfriend’s lap. Adora wrapped her arms securely around her waist, pressing her face into her neck. Glimmer must have changed after her morning classes were over, because she found it hard to believe that she had worn a pink sundress and a full face of makeup to her first class at eight am. She could barely look away from her partner, so overwhelmed by her beauty and warmth.

A thought suddenly struck Adora’s mind. “Wait, how did you get into the lab? You don’t have a school ID.” All the buildings on campus required the swipe of an ID card to be allowed access inside. 

Glimmer winked, causing Adora’s stomach to somersault. “A woman has her ways.”

“I let her in,” a grumpy voice called from outside the room, in the library proper. 

“Hi Catra!” Scorpia loudly greeted. “How do you think you’ll do on the chemistry midterm?” 

Catra poked her head into the lab, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. “Wait... we have a midterm?”

“Well,” Glimmer said, sliding off of Adora’s lap, “I think that’s our cue to leave. We have reservations, after all. Good luck with, uh, not failing chemistry, or whatever.”

Catra flipped her off, while Scorpia grabbed her notebook and ran from the room, dragging the magicat behind her. “C’mon, Wildcat, we have a lot of studying to do. Class is in two hours, let’s go, let’s go!” 

Catra growled, but allowed herself to be tugged to an empty table on the other side of the library. “Happy anniversary, dorks,” she yelled over her shoulder, with what seemed to be genuine fondness.

Hand in hand, Adora followed Glimmer towards the library exit, the keychains on her backpack jingling with every step. “Reservations? But we aren’t going out until six, I thought?”

“We aren’t, but,” Glimmer smirked, “I happen to know a lovely place to check out in the meantime...”

\---

The campus coffee shop was surprisingly not that busy, considering it was a Friday afternoon and most students were preparing for midterms. It was a quiet, cozy cafe that was always stocked with thick slices of chocolate cake and buttery croissants. Sometimes, when Adora needed a break from her marathon studying sessions, or just needed a place to work on her thesis in relative peace, she would pull out a seat at a table in the back, and drink coffee while listening to music on her phone. Of all the places to eat or relax on campus, it was her favorite.

“Reservations for two!” Glimmer commanded, strolling confidently into the lobby.

“For the last time, Princess, we don’t do reservations here. It’s a _coffee shop.”_ Lonnie, who looked as tired and overworked as always, rolled her eyes from behind the counter. “Just pick a seat. You both want your usual?”

Adora tried not to laugh, but couldn’t help herself. “Yes, please,” the blonde said, answering for both of them. 

Glimmer happily led them to a corner table by the window, pulling out Adora’s chair for her. “For you, my lady,” she said, bowing gallantly.

Adora fake-curtsied, then kissed Glimmer’s cheek. “Thank you, kind knight.”

As soon as they were both seated, Adora took Glimmer’s hands in her own, marveling at how small and soft her hands were. They fit perfectly in her own calloused hands, made rough by many nights of fencing practice and hard labor. She rubbed her thumb along her knuckles, admiring her girlfriend’s glittery purple nail polish and simple gold rings. One ring was bigger than the others, with an amethyst in the shape of a crescent moon cut into the band; it was the one Adora had gotten her for her birthday, last year. Gently, she raised her hand to her mouth, kissing the ring.

Glimmer giggled, squirming slightly in her seat. “Aren’t you romantic?”

“For you, always,” Adora said earnestly. Letting their joined hands fall back to the table, she found herself looking into Glimmer’s lavender eyes, unable to tear her gaze away from the swirling stars she found within them. “I can’t believe this is where we had our first date, three years ago.”

Glimmer’s eyes twinkled as she tilted her head in reminiscence. “Yeah, three years now, love.” She smiled, that smile that made Adora feel like she was floating, suspended high above the clouds. “I remember, I was _so nervous - “_

Adora laughed, squeezing her hand. “Nervous? Why were you nervous?”

“Because you’re you,” Glimmer said, blushing. “I still couldn’t believe you had asked me out in the first place. Adora, the VIP of the Horde’s soccer team.” Although she had quit the sport this year to focus on her thesis, Adora was one of the best soccer players on her college’s team. She’d never forget their fateful match against Bright Moon University, on a blustery Autumn afternoon, because afterwards when she went to congratulate Bow and the other members of the opposing team for their win, she met Glimmer, and her brain short-circuited and her heart stopped. Adora had seen plenty of pretty women before, but Glimmer was jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Even dressed so casually, in jeans and a long-sleeve shirt, she managed to take Adora’s breath away.

She had also been shivering, the chilly October wind easily ripping through her layers of clothes. “Hey, um, uh, I’m Adora, and, uh, you look cold,” she had managed to stutter out.

She thought she had made an absolute fool of herself, but Glimmer found her charming and sweet, _somehow._ “I’m Glimmer, and yes, I’m very cold. I left my jacket in the car. Good game, by the way!”

“Oh! Uh, thank you! Very much!” Adora couldn’t be less awkward if she had tried. “Um, well, if you’re cold, uh... You can have my jacket.” She took off her varsity jacket, struggling with the sleeves a bit, and offered it to the smaller girl. 

She was almost positive she’d be rejected, and would never be able to play a game against Bright Moon again without feeling like a total idiot, but to her surprise, Glimmer accepted. Her smile was so warm it could melt glaciers, all of the jitters Adora was feeling leaving her body in a rush. “Oh, are you sure? We probably won’t be here much longer.”

“No, no, it’s totally okay!” Adora blurted. “Like, yeah, just - “

She broke off, interrupted by a very annoyed Catra. “Hey, c’mon Adora, Coach wants you!”

“I’ll get it back later!” She half-shouted, leaving the jacket in a surprised Glimmer’s hands, and dashing off to get her ass handed to her by her Coach.

Except... She didn’t get it back later, because by the time she was finally free and went looking for her new crush, she was completely gone. She did, however, have a friend request and a dozen Facebook messages from Glimmer, apologizing profusely for having to leave with her jacket, but promising to meet up next weekend to return it. 

They stayed up all night messaging each other, talking about everything and anything, to the point Adora slept through her morning classes. But it was worth it, because next Saturday, they’d be having their very first date, at the campus cafe.

In the present, Lonnie walked up to their table, setting down two cups of coffee in front of them. “A peppermint cappuccino, and a caramel frappe, enjoy you two, just don’t be _too_ gay.”

Adora thanked her, while Glimmer stuck her tongue out at their friend. Her cappuccino burnt her tongue, but she barely felt it, as all of her attention was on her beautiful girlfriend, the three years they had spent together, and all the years they had ahead of them still.

\---

The restaurant wasn’t the fanciest place in town, but it was definitely more upscale than the places the college students usually frequented. Adora was very thankful they had thought to book a reservation ahead of time, as there was a considerable line when they arrived. The server was happy to take them to a table in one of the back rooms, candles already lit for their romantic dinner. Although neither really drank, they both accepted a glass of red wine that tasted like cherries, grapes, and stargazing dates. Adora blushed in the flickering light, unable to stop herself from noticing that Glimmer’s (carefully reapplied) lipstick left stains behind on the crystal glass.

“You look hot,” Glimmer said abruptly, eyeing Adora up and down.

Her blush deepened to the color of the wine. “That’s the fifth time you’ve told me that since I changed, babe.”

“Because it’s _true.”_

Adora didn’t dress up often, but when she did, she typically wore the same thing - a pink dress that she’d had since senior year of high school. While it was acceptable to wear to most formal events, it made her uncomfortable in a way she couldn’t adequately explain. She felt exposed, and vulnerable, and overly feminine, creating a weird disconnect between who she was, and the person she saw in the mirror. One day, Glimmer casually asked her, “Why don’t you get a suit instead?”, and it was like Adora had an epiphany. The next day, she threw out the miserable dress, got fitted for a tux, and never looked back. Tonight, she was wearing one that was black with pink accents, perfectly complementing Glimmer’s own dress. 

“I only want to look this good for you,” Adora admitted, shifting in her seat. 

Glimmer nudged her foot under the table. “Silly, you always look amazing. You could wear sweatpants and a tank top, and you’d still be the hottest girl in the room.”

“Okay, now you’re overdoing it,” Adora snorted. 

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

Smiling, Glimmer paused, suddenly nervous, but still eager to keep the conversation going. “Three years is a really long time, you know. Like... it feels like we’ve only been dating for a few months, but also, like we’ve been together for years and years.”

“I know what you mean,” Adora said with a wistful sigh. “I can’t believe I’ve had the honor of loving you for _three whole years._ I was sure you’d have gotten sick of me by now.”

“I could never, _ever_ get sick of you,” Glimmer said shyly. “You’re my everything, ‘Dora. Every day, I find a new reason to fall even further in love with you.”

Adora was almost overwhelmed with emotion, tears gathering in her eyes. “Every morning, when I wake up, I check my phone, and my background is a picture of us. And every time, my heart skips a beat, because it reminds me how _lucky_ I am just to know you, let alone be your girlfriend.”

“Babe!” It was Glimmer’s turn to blush now. “I’m nothing special.”

“Don’t ever say that,” Adora said sincerely. “You have no idea how much you mean to me. I can’t imagine a life without you. I wouldn’t want to live in a world that wasn’t touched by your light.” Adora reached over to cup her cheek in her hand. “I love you, Glim. And... I don’t know if it’s okay for me to say this or not, but... I hope I can be your girlfriend for the rest of our lives.”

Glimmer turned, kissing Adora’s palm. “Are you _sure_ you want to be girlfriends for the rest of our lives?”

“I’ve never been this sure about anything before.”

Glimmer grinned, holding back laughter. “Just girlfriends? Because, I mean, I’d like to get _married_ at some point, so - “

“Oh!” Adora squeaked, realizing her mistake. “We can be wives - er, I mean, well, one day, maybe, if _you want to,_ of course - “

Glimmer cut her off, leaning across the table to kiss her into silence. “I would love that, ‘Dora. I can’t imagine not loving you.” 

It wasn’t until a waiter came over to take their orders that they finally broke apart, their faces flushed and hearts pounding perfectly in sync.

\---

It was fitting that, three years ago, for their _second_ date, the couple had gone to see the first film adaptation of the latest Young Adult literary series to take the world by storm - _Her Beacon of Hope._ Now, after eating dinner, they were in the same movie theater again, candy from the Dollar Store across the road tucked into their pockets and purse, preparing to see the final installment. Even though Adora tried to avoid sugar, she couldn’t resist getting a small soda (which was the size of a large everywhere else) as a treat, while Glimmer was more than content to share a box of cookie dough bites with her. They were surely too overdressed to see a movie, but neither woman cared, especially since nobody even glanced at them in the darkened theater. They picked seats in the middle, towards the back of the room, and Glimmer immediately lifted the armrest up so she could lean against her girlfriend.

Adora snuggled close to her, breathing in her lavender perfume and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She couldn’t resist kissing her on the lips, one hand falling to Glimmer’s knee to keep her steady. It was a long, slow kiss, but as Glimmer moved to pull away, she leaned in further, kissing her again, and again.

Glimmer giggled against her lips. “Babe, we can’t make out during the entire movie.”

Adora finally separated from her, planting kisses on her cheeks, nose, and forehead, in quick succession, while Glimmer giggled even more. “But it’s just the previews!” However, she relented, giving her girlfriend a break while they cuddled in the darkness. 

The movie was _good_ \- better than the first three films, even. Adora and Glimmer cheered for the heroes, winced in sympathy for the injured villains, and laughed at the side characters’ antics every other scene. But it was still hard for Adora to keep all her attention focused on the screen, when all of her other senses were overwhelmed by _Glimmer._ During lulls in the action, she’d hug the smaller woman tighter, whispering “I love you” into her ear, playing with her hands. Glimmer would just sigh dreamily, surrendering herself to Adora’s warm embrace, nuzzling into her neck. When the credits finally rolled, and the lights kicked on, Glimmer was practically in her lap, barely able to keep her eyes open.

“That was a good movie,” she said, yawning. “But now I’m sleepy.”

“What, is it past your bedtime already?” Adora teased.

Glimmer pouted, clinging even closer to her. Adora often joked that Glimmer was more catlike than Catra - when she was tired, she got all warm and heavy, like the perfect weighted blanket, and you could scoop her up and carry her anywhere. “Noooo, I just wanna snuggle with my girlfriend.”

“You can, and we shall!” Adora said, standing up while holding Glimmer in her arms. 

She gasped, instinctively wrapping her legs around her waist to stay balanced. “Hey! I can still walk, you know!”

Chuckling, Adora gingerly set her girlfriend down, but didn’t let go of her hand, as they left the theater and headed towards home.

\---

The bed in Adora’s apartment wasn’t terribly big, but on the nights when she shared it with Glimmer, she didn’t mind at all. They always made sure that there was no space between them, Glimmer’s back pressed up against Adora’s chest. Glimmer had a tendency to move in her sleep a lot, so there was no doubt in either girl’s mind that by the time they woke up the next morning, Glimmer would be sprawled all over the blonde, their arms and legs tangled together. 

“Happy Anniversary, Starlight,” Adora murmured, stroking Glimmer’s hair. “Did you have fun?”

Glimmer stretched out beside her, practically purring in contentment. “Every day with you is fun, ‘Dora. But this was perfect. I love you, so much.” She rolled over, lazily kissing Adora, sighing sleepily.

“I love you more than the sun loves the moon,” Adora whispered. She kissed both of her eyes, so she’d have the sweetest dreams, and then they both drifted off into slumber.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, if you enjoyed, please consider leaving a comment or kudos!!


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